Sunday School Lesson
(Continued from Page 2)
and went to the Mount of
Olives. (Verse 26).
In the Garden
The name Gethsemane (verse
32), according to The Interpret
er's Bible, means "oil press."
John says Gethsemane was a
garden across the Kidron Valley
to which Jesus and his disciples
went. (John 18:1) He also tells
us that Judas "knew the place"
because Jesus and his disciples
often met there. (John 18:2)
As Jesus says to his disciples,
"Sit here, while 1 pray" (verse
j 32), the reader of this account
i can almost feel his deep lone- 1
liness. In the agony of this hour
he was entering into a terrible
struggle alone. He needed and
desired the fellowship of close
friends and the fellowship of i
God. Powerful tensions wellev' '
up from within him,
"He took with him Peter and
James and John." (Verse 33)
These three disciples seem to
have had a very close relation
ship to Jesus, forming an in
ner circle, so to speak. They
had shared in other intimate
experiences, including the
I Transfiguration. (Mark 5:37; >
9:2)
When we remember that Jes
us was lacing the prospect of \
crucifixion, death, the end of
his work, and perhaps failure of
his mission, we can understand
why he "began to be greatly dis
tressed and troubled." He said
to the three disciples, "My soul I
is very sorrowful, even to death;
remain here, and watch." j
(Verse 34) Jesus greatly needed |
the support of friends who
could enter with him into this
ordeal. Grief and heartbreak
are evident. Perhaps we shall
never really be able to under- '
stand It, but Jesus was certain |
that it was God's will, and he |
accepted it. |
Jesus did not want to die. At '
thirty-three he was on the thres
hold of life. Therefore, he pray
ed that if it were possible, he
might be spared this ordeal.
(Verse35)
In agony of mind and body
he prayed, even as you and I
would have, that he would not
have to face this terrible ex
perience. "Yet not what I will,
but what thou wilt." (Verse 36)
Thus Jesus accepted the possi
bility that his prayer might
be answered, "No."
When Jesus went back to the
disciples, he found them sleep
ing. (Verse 37) "Could you not
watch one hour?" he asked.
Three times Jesus left the dis
ciples to pray. Upon each return
he found them sleeping. (Ac
cording to Luke's Gospel, Jesus
returned once, not three times
as in Mark.) The last time
he said, "It is enough; the hour
has come; the Son of man Is
betrayed into the hands of sin
ners." (Verse 41)
What the Scripture Says to Us
We too need human com
panionship. In time of distress
and loss a person is strengthen
( Continued from Page 4
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Electric het
make 1
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